Three great 2014 wines honouring revered winemaker Tom McDonald are about to be released.

Three great 2014 wines honouring Tom McDonald are about to be released.

‘ The finest red wine ever in New Zealand” is how Montana – now called Pernod Ricard NZ – promoted the first vintage of Tom in 1995. This Hawke’s Bay blend of varying proportions of cabernet sauvignon and merlot ranks today among our most prestigious reds and has been joined by an equally exclusive, high-priced Tom Chardonnay and Tom Syrah.

The label honours Tom McDonald, the first modern-era winemaker to chart Hawke’s Bay’s red-wine potential. Two years after McDonald’s death in 1987, Montana bought and rejuvenated his old winery at Taradale – now called Church Road.

The latest releases are memorable, but it may pay to shop around. Church Road advised the trio from 2014 would be available “from June 2017 at a recommended retail price of $150 for the chardonnay and $200 for the red varietals”. On June 6, Glengarry Wines offered each of the reds at $199.99 (“was $249”), and the chardonnay at $149.99 (“was $199”).

Church Road Tom Chardonnay 2014

This is chardonnay on the grand scale. Grown on a slope cooled by sea breezes, it was hand-picked and fermented and matured in French oak barriques. It has a very rich, ripe, complex bouquet, leading into a powerful, mouthfilling wine (14% alc/vol) with fresh acidity, deep, peachy, complex flavours, well-integrated oak and a long, vaguely toasty finish. $150

Church Road Tom Syrah 2014

Estate-grown principally in the Redstone Vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, it was matured for nearly two years in French oak barriques. Already delicious, it is a densely coloured, robust wine (15% alc/vol), with lush, concentrated, very ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of dark chocolate, black pepper and liquorice, and a lovely fragrance and harmony. $200

Church Road Tom Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

This is a dark blend of merlot, grown in the Gimblett Gravels, and cabernet sauvignon, grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle. Matured for nearly two years in French oak barriques (mostly new), it was bottled without any fining or filtering. A sturdy, weighty (15% alcohol) red, it is notably rich and sweet-fruited, with dense blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of liquorice and nuts, fine, supple tannins, and great ageing potential. $200

This blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot ranks among our most prestigious reds.